Tuesday, August 25, 2015

I got home from a day in my office, highlighted by a faculty meeting. Tomorrow is the first class day at SHSU. That means our online students will be able to access our classes for the first time, and we can start getting to know them. It's exciting and fun! I came home and admitted to myself that I had been building up to a rant for a couple of days. Fortunately, I do not rant all that often but this one refused to get out of my head so I am sharing:

I love the beginning of school. In my previous life as a
classroom teacher I had some fun getting-to-know you activities for students and looked
forward to the fresh faces. As a school librarian it was even more fun to stand
out in the hall and greet students, both the returning kiddos and the fearful
first-timers. I confess that I can still get a bit excited even though now my
first day (and subsequent ones) is online. I love getting to know my amazing,
motivated, graduate students. They are a special breed.

This week I’ve had fun seeing all the wonderful pictures
posted by teachers, parents, and grandparents. There are so many cute ideas for
ways to denote your special student’s grade and first-day excitement, which
does wane humorously with some teens looking either pained or indulgent about
the fuss made over them. On the first day of school everybody says such
positive things. Teachers get high praise and lots of people offer prayers for
both students and teachers. This is all great!

But…and if you know me you knew there was a “but” coming,
could we have some love and praise throughout the year? Wouldn’t be great if
ALL parents bent over backwards to encourage their students and back up the
teachers? How about if all parents made sure their kids were prepared for
school and on time every day? Of course I’m preaching to the choir because my online Facebook friends' postings that I see are by folks that will do these things, so thanks
in advance.

And here’s what I really wish. Could we stop electing people
who don’t support public schools and teachers? Could we not even let someone progress after saying
he’d like to punch teachers in the face? Could we vote for people who GET IT
RIGHT about education? Frankly that’s a tall order. Our present administration
has, in my opinion, dropped the ball here—or rather passed it off to Arne
Duncan. Could we at least refrain from voting for those who clearly want to do
away with public schools, who heap scorn upon teachers, who are out to make a
buck for themselves or their cronies through educational testing and review
products, and who advocate cutting already cut-to-the-bone funding? Could we?
That’s my school year wish, in this important year as we move toward nominating
our next president. Have a great year everybody! I plan to!